December 7, 2012

Kinyoubi Kimono 12

So embarrassing! Well, back in the early 2000s, there wasn't a whole lot of good info on kitsuke in English available, and there were very few sellers on places like Ebay with affordable kimono items. It took me awhile to get a basic set of things, like juban, socks and shoes that were more appropriate (since I didn't think anything of mofuku then, when wearing it in an American setting), and accessories like obiage/obijime. Those ran easily $20-30 each, or about what I paid for one kimono! And I really, really didn't have the money then.

As I got older and read more, and with the advent of Youtube, I was able to learn more about proper wearing... and of course, getting a better job that allowed me to start buying more kimono items (greatly helped by my trip to Japan in HS), I was able to build a much better wardrobe. At first, it was hard to get over my initial OOH I WANT! shock, too, which inhibited my ability to carefully think out how things were sized, what repairs I could and couldn't do, and how I would wear it.

There are still finer points of kitsuke that I need to get down, like how to wrap the skirt so that it isn't too wide or too tight, and how to balance my figure. I have a very small bust, and very large hips. Rectangular clothing isn't so forgiving! But if I pad my waist, my body looks huge and wide compared to my head or limbs. So it's very difficult. Another reason I still stick to dark colours! Yabane and asa no ha are also my favourite patterns, not only because they are aesthetically pleasing, but because they help visually guide the eye up and down instead of side-to-side.

Overall, I'd say my ability to dress has not only improved because of practice, but largely because of wardrobe choices. Dressing in itself is not too difficult. Coordination and proper sizing is key!